How to Preserve Deer Antlers & Skull Caps

A deer skull cap and antler mount is commonly known as a European mount. These are becoming increasingly popular among sportsmen simply because they are less expensive and take up less room in the house than the traditional shoulder mount. With a little effort, you can make a European mount to display your trophy buck.

Things You'll Need

• Utility knife
• Spoon
• Boiling pot
• Bleach
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Super glue
• Clear acrylic

Instructions

1. Prepare the skull by scraping out as much flesh as you can with a spoon and utility knife. Scrape the marrow out of the antlers.

2. Fill a large boiling pot with two gallons of water. Add 2 tbsp. of bleach to the water, and bring to boil. The bleach is used to assist in sterilizing the skull.

3. Hold the skull by the antlers, and immerse in the boiling water. Allow the skull to soak for 15 minutes without immersing the antlers in the water.

4. Pour a 40 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide into a pot. Allow the skull to soak in this solution for at least 12 hours. Make sure none of the solution gets splashed on the antlers. Rinse the skull when complete.

5. Inspect the bottom of the pot for loose teeth and bone fragments. Determine a loose tooth's origin, and glue it back into place with the super glue.

6. Allow the skull to dry, and then spray the entire skull and antlers with clear acrylic to seal.

Tips & Warnings

• Allowing the antlers to soak in the boiling bleach or the hydrogen peroxide solution will lighten the antlers' color.

References

• My deer antlers: Preserving deer antlers.
• Minnesota bucks: Tips for cleaning skulls for a European mount.
• Wildlife artistry: European skull mounts.

Resources

• Skullery: Skull cleaning process.